Under Cabinet Lighting

[arb1]

Just doing up the kitchen and was thinking of putting up some lighting under cabinets as a finishing touch. Not sure what type would be best, presumably the ones with integrated transformers as I don't want a big lumpy thing tucked away in one of the cabinets. The stretch of cabinets I want for the lights would only be about 5 foot or so. I was thinking strip lights rather than spotlights.

Would I be able to cable from an existing spur for these lights or would a new spur from another socket be advisable? I know it would probably be preferable to run from a lighting circuit but it would seem so much easier to run from one of the many sockets in the kitchen.

 

[BigJon]

Hi, yes just spur off your ring in the kitchen with a 3/5 amp fuse to your lights.
You can pick up slim line compact flourescant fittings specifically designed for under cabinet lighting.
Another option that Ive done in the past is to put a 4 or 5ft fitting on top of the units, with a daylight tube in it its very effective IMHO.

 

[arb1]

So I can't run a lightswitch from and existing FCU for the dishwasher - damn!

 

[davelx]

So I can't run a lightswitch from and existing FCU for the dishwasher - damn!

Nothing in the regs AFAIK to stop you running a second FCU with a smaller fuse (3A) to protect the thinner cable to the lights from the LOAD side of the dishwasher FCU (which is probably fused at 13A) provided that you don't exceed the 13A max load on the first FCU.

Cable from the first FCU fused at 13A to the second FCU needs to be rated 13A or better - 1.5 is OK but I'd use 2.5 for consistency.

Labelling at the CU to indicate which MCB controls those light would be a good idea.

 

[arb1]

So to save having FCU+FCU+Lightswitch perhaps be better just to have dishwasher FCU + switched FCU for lights off it. I could live with that.

Thanks very much for the quick responses.

Regards